"In the 2003 municipal election for the City of Ottawa’s 22 council seats (Mayor plus 21 ward councillors) a remarkable thing happened: every incumbent running for re-election succeeded. The incumbent mayor and 15 incumbent ward councillors running were all re-elected, despite competition from 60 other candidates, despite endorsements for certain challengers from the two major newspapers and sundry interest groups. The only new councillors elected were from 6 “open” seats where no incumbent was a contestant.

A review of the 2003 municipal election in Ottawa indicates that there is an uneven playing field in municipal election campaigns, and the clear need for campaign financing reform."